Boys & Girls

7digitalWhat we said:R&B might have become synonymous with slick, vocal acrobatics and air-brushed hotties, but consult music historians on the subject and they’ll be more than happy to regale you with the story of the art form that spawned rock n roll. Judging by Boys and Girls, we’d hazard a guess that these Deep South 20-somethings have been doing their homework too. Expertly fusing ragged rock n roll with swampy blues and vintage soul, Alabama Shakes’ hotly-anticipated debut both belies their youth and vindicates the high-profile endorsements they’ve had from Jack White, Alex Turner and Adele. And our favourite thing about the record? Brittany Howard’s show-stopping, Aretha Franklin-meets-Janis Joplin howl.